Vending-machine.



C. FORTH.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1am RENEWED JUNE 6, 1912.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

l/V/r/vsssrs CHARLES FORTH, 0F WINTHROP, MASSACHUSETTS.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

Application filed March'29, 1909, Serial No. 486,422. Renewed June 6,1912. Serial No. 702,108.

To all whom if m (13 concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FORTH, a citizen of the United States,residing'at Winthrop, in the county of Suffolk and State ofh-Iassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVending-Machines, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to coin operated vending machines of the type'inwhich the articles to be vended are discharged by means of a manuallyoperated ejecting mechanism retained normally locked against action andadapted to be unlocked by the insertion of a coin of the properdimensions, and the invention consists in various improvements inmechanism of this type having in view economy, durability and simplicityin construction, compactness in the arrangement of the parts, andeffectiveness in operation.

In its essential features, my invention embodies a suitable casingadapted to hold the articles to be vended in storage, an ejectingmechanism adapted by its action to forcibly eject the articles from thecasing, a coin receiving slide or plunger having operative connectionwith the ejecting mechanism and serving by its operation to actuate saidejecting mechanism, and a locking mechanism normally locking said coinreceiving slide against action and adapted to be operated to release theslide on the insertion of a coinof the proper dimensions; whereby theslide will be free to be moved by hand, and through its connection withthe ejecting mechanism will act to operate the same and effect thedischarge of the articles from the casing.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical central sectionthrough the machine from front to rear on line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 isa front elevation of the same with portions of the casingbroken away toexpose other parts to View. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l, but withthe parts in the position they occupy when the ejecting mechanism isoperated to discharge one of the articles. Fig. 4: is a horizontalsectional plan view on line 4% of Figs. 1 and 2, showing the coinreceiving-slide and the locking mechanism therefor. Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of the parts shown in the preceding figure.

Referring to the drawings: 1 represents a I suitable casing, consistingof the front, side and rear walls, within which the operative mechanismis mounted and inclosed. In the upper part of the casing is situated anupright chute or reservoir 6, in which the articles 7 to be vended arestored, one upon the other in column, the lower one resting on ahorizontal plate 8, fixed within the casing and constituting the bottomof the chute. The lowermost article is adapted to be delivered throughan opening in the front wall of the chute, which opening is normallyclosed by means of a gravitating door 14, hinged at its upper edge, asat 15, to the front wall of the chute above the discharge opening, whichdoor will, when the lowermost article is pushed from the chute, be swungby the same outwardly, and when the article has passed through theopening, the door will swing back automatically to its former positioncovering said openin The discharge of the articles is e ected by meansof anejecting mechanism, comprisingan upright arm 12, pivoted near itslower end on a transverse horizontal axis 13 to the back wall of thecasing, so that its upper end may be swung back and forth. Near itsupper end, the arm extends through a fore and aft slot 8 in the plate 8,before alluded to, and on its upper extremity is provided with ahorizontal transversely arranged roller 11, which when the arm is in itsnormal retracted position extends at the back of the lowermost article,as shown in Fig. 1, and which when the upper end of the arm swingsforwardly through the slot 8 engages said article and pushes the samepositively from the chute through the discharge opening therein.-

The articles as they are pushed from the chute are received on areceiving plate 17 pivotally mounted on a horizontal transverse pin 16,fixed between the side walls of the casing, the said plate being actedon by a torsional spring 18, encircling the pin and actmg to hold theplate yieldingly in a horizontal receivin position, as shown in Fig. 1,the tension of t e spring being such that it will be overcome by theweight of the article, with the result that the plate when the articlefalls thereon will be swung down to an inclined position, as shown inFig. 3, in which position the article will slide by gravity therefromand be'received on a delivery trough 9, in the form of a plate fixedbetween the side walls of the casing and leading to an opening 1 in thefront of the casing, from which trough the article may be withdrawn bythe purchaser. The purpose of the receiving plate 17 is to prevent thedeposit of the article onto the delivery trough by means other than theproper operation of the ejecting mechanism through the medium of theproper coin, and to this end the arm 12 is adapted to cooperate with theplate in such manner that the latter will be held by the arm lockingin-its horizontal receiving position, in which position it will preventthe deposit of the article onto the delivery trough and will onlyrelease said plate to permit the article to be dropped when the arm ismoved by means controlled by the insertion of the proper coin. To edectthis locking of the plate, I prefer to form in the rear edge of theejecting arm a slot or notch 19, which when the arm is in its retractedposition receives a pin 26 on a finger 20 depending from the rear end ofthe plate and thus holds the forward receiving end of the plate in ahorizontal position. l Vhen the arm is swung -forwardly, the slot beingremoved away from the pin and free of the same unlocks the plate and.permits it to he swung down under the influence of the weight of thearticle discharged thereon, thereby depositing the article onto thedelivery trough.

As a result of the construction descril'icd, it an attempt to efiect thedischarge of tlut articles from the chute without operating l springs36.

the ejecting mechanism were successful, the ejecting arm remaining inits retracted posi tion would hold the receiving plate locked in itsreceiving position, and the article would be retained thereon, as shownby dolted lines in Fig. 3, consequently it could not be withdrawn fromthe machine. Furthermore, by normally maintaining the plate in lockedposition, in which position it extends across the passage leading to themouth of the chute, it efiectu ally prevents any tampering with thechute or the insertion of an instrument from the outside through thedischarge opening in the chute. The upper wall of the notch 19 extendssome distance horizontally, so that it will maintain a lockingengagement with the pin for a consider able period of the forwardmovement of the arm, thereby insuring that the plate will remain lockeduntil the arm has been properly operated to discharge the articles, andthere by preventing any slight or imperfect movement of the arm fromreleasing the plate. As the article slides oil the plate in the positionshown in Fig. 3, the torsional spring 18 will restore the plate to itsformer horizontal position, and when the arm 12 returns to its retractedposition, the notch 20 will again engage over the pin and efl'ect thelocking of the plate. The operation of the ejecting arm 12 is ellectedthrough the mediuni of a horizontal movable coin receiving slide orplunger 2?, which is operatively connected with the arm in such mannerthat when pushed back. the upper ejecting end of the arm will be swungforward and will the same yieldingly in its forward position,

as shown in Figs. 1 and At its rear end, the plunger has projectingupwardly from its upper side two ears 3 between which the lower end ofthe ejecting arm 12 extends, and is connected to said ears by means of apin 32 extending through the. ears and through a slot in the arm, bywhich means the movement of the plunger back and forth will impartcorresponding movements to the ejecting arm.

The outward movement of the plunger under the influence of s, ring 28 islimited by dreams of two stops 35, in X form of dogs mounted slidinglyin openings in the block 25, at opposite sides of the plunger openingand. urged inward hy means of The inner ends the dogs at their rearsides are adapted when the plunger is in its forward positi shown inFig. 1., to engage in front of s 'lders 27 on the plunger, whereby theoutward move men; of the plunger is limited. The inner ends of the dogsare beveled or sloped forwardly and outwardly, as shown, so that theywill not interfere with the mo ement oi. the plunger inward or to the.rear, in which movement the sides of the plunger engaging the slopingends of the dogs will move the same automatically outward, so that theplunger will. be free to he moved rearward.

The plunger is formed with a central vertical coin receiving slot 34extending longitudinally therein. ilroin the front end and terminatingat its rear end in a downwardly and iaarwardly inclined wall 34. Thisslot in its vertical and transverse dimensions is of the exact(an-responding dimensions of the coin, which it is intended shalloperate the machine. Cooperating with the coin slot is a lockingi'nechanism of such form and construction that it acts normally to holdthe plunger locked against rearward movement but is adapted to beoperated to release the plunger when the proper coin inserted in theslot. As shown more particularly in Figs. 4 and 5, this lockingmechanism comtoo llfi

prises a horizontal pin 37 mounted to slide transversely of the movementof the plunger in a guiding opening therein, the inner end of the pinextending into the coin slot in the path of the incoming coin. The outerend of the pin extends through a horizontal slot 25 extending in a foreand aft direction in the block 25, and the pin is formed with a verticalcross-head 39 extending on opposite sides of said slot and adapted atits inner edge to interlock with notches 40 formed in the sides of theblock, the cross-head being acted on by a leaf spring 41 fixed at itsrear end by means of a screw 42 t0 the block and bearing at its oppositeend on the cross-head. This spring acts to yieldingly hold thecross-head in one of the notches in the block and thereby hold theplunger carrying the pin in locked posi tion, the position of thenotches being such that the plunger will be held locked when in itsforward position. In this position the inner end of the pin will extendin the coin slot in the path of the incoming coin. When, now, a coin isinserted in the coin slot, its edge will impinge against the end of thepin and on the coin being forced back farther in the slot it will thrustthe pin outward against the restraining influence of spring 41, therebydisengaging the inner edge of the cross-head from the notch in the blockand leaving the plunger free to be moved back in its guiding opening, asshown in Fig. 3. This rearward movement of the plunger will, through theconnection of the same with'the lower end of the ejecting arm, swing theupper end of said arm forward and push the lowermost article from thechute. During this rearward movement of the plunger, the coin held inthe slot by pin 37 bearing on its side face will be carried bodily tothe rear until it is brought over a vertical slot 51 in the top of acoin receptacle 52, whereupon the inner edge of the cross-head. willride up an incline 4O at the side ofthe slot 25 and by this incline thepin 37 will be moved slightly outward, and the coin being thus freed ofpressure will drop from the slot in the plunger down through slot 51 andinto the coin receptacle. The plunger being now released by thepurchaser, spring 28, which had by the rearward movement of the plungerbeen compressed, will expand and urge the plunger forward to itsoriginal position, the inner edge of the cross-head clicking over theteeth between the notches 40, and the plunger finally coming to restwith its shoulders 36 engaging therear faces of the pins 35. During thisforward return movement of the plunger, the upper end of the rejectingarm is retracted, and by the time the plunger comes to rest, the rolleron said arm stands behind the next article to be delivered. The purposeof connecting the lower end of the ejecting arm to the plunger by meansof a pin and slot connection is to admit of a certain amount of lostmotion between the plunger and the arm, so that a considerable movementof the plunger is necessary before the arm is actuated to eject thearticles.

In order that the insertion of an instrument, such as a knife blade,into the coin slot for the purpose of retracting the pin 37 and therebyeffecting the operation of the mechanism without the use of a coin maybe prevented, I provide means whereby when the plunger is .moved to therear, the forward end of the coin slot will be automatically covered,said means embodying a device which will act to restrain the plungeragainst rearward movement while the slot remains uncovered. Thismechanism is shown particularly in Fig. 4, where it will be seen thatthere is arranged in a guiding opening at the side of the coin slotentrance a vertical plate 48 adapted to be moved back and forth in saidopening and by its inward movement to move across and co ver the coinslot. The outer edge of this plate is provided with a pin 45, sliding 1nan opening in the plunger and adapted to extend at its outer end in anopening 47 in the block, a spring 49 acting on the plate and tending tonormally hold the same in its outward posit-ion, in which position thepin 45 will extend in the opening in the block and the plate 48 willuncover the coin slot. The outer end of the pin is rounded, with theresult that when, after the proper coin has been placed in the slot andthe plunger has been unlocked, the latter is pushed inward, the roundedsurface of the pin coming in contact with the block, the pin will bepushed inward and will thereby project the plate 48 over the coin slotand effectually cover the same. If a knife-blade is inserted in the coinslot in order to retract pin 37, it will not be pos sible to push theplunger rearward, because the knife blade will act as a stop for plate48, preventing it from sliding inward to cover the coin slot, and thepin 45being by this means held outward in the opening 47 in the block,will act as a lock for the plunger and prevent it from being moved.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Assuming the parts to be inthe position shown in Fig. l, the purchaser inserts a coin in the coinslot in the plunger, and with the finger thrusts the coin back as farasit will go. The rear edge of the coin as it is pushed back engages theend 38 of looking pin 37 and forces said pin laterally against thepressure of its spring 41, thereby disengaging cross-head 39 from thelocking notches 40 in the block 25. The plunger now being free to bemoved back is pushed by the finger, which action will urge the reac esspring pressed dogs 35 outward and will at the same time cause the endof pin 45 to engage the front end of the block 25, thereby forcing saidpin inward and pushing plate 48 over the entrance end of the coin slot.By the same rearward movement of the. plunger, pin 82 thereon engagesthe rear end of slot 33 in the ejecting arm 12, and the continuedmovement of the plunger swings the upper end of said arm forward, theroller 11 thereon pushing the lowermost article 7 from the chute, whicharticle is re ceived on the receiving plate 17, the latter being, as theejecting arm swings forward, automatically unlocked, with the resultthat it will be tipped downward by the weight of the article which willbe delivered onto the trough 9, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3,whence it may be withdrawn by the purchaser through the opening in thefront of the casing. By the time the plunger has reached the end of itsrearward movement, the coin therein has arrived over the slot 51 in thetop of the coin receptacle, and the inner edge of cross-head 39 on thelocking pin 37 has by this time ridden up the incline 40 by which meansthe locking pin is forced outward slightly and relieves the coin whichwas held thereby of pressure. The coin then drops through slot 51 intothe coin receptacle. The delivery of the article having been effected,the purchaser removes his finger from the plunger and the spring 28.which had been compressed by the inward motion of the plunger, resumesits former expanded condition and thrusts the plunger forward again toits previous position. This action retracts ejector arm 12 and effectsthe locking of the receiving plate 7 in its horizontal position, whichplate had, when the article slid therefrom, been restored to itshorizontal receiving position'by the torsional spring 18. As the plungermoves forward in this manner to resumeits forward position, the

inner edge of cross-head 39 clicksover the teeth between the lockingnotches 40, and by the time that the plunger is arrested in its forwardmotion by the spring pressed dogs 35, cross-head 39 arrives at the lastnotch,

and being seated therein, projects the end of pin 37 in the coinreceiving slot in the path of the next incoming coin, in which positionthe parts are locked as before. As the plunger completes its forwardmovement as described, pin 45 on covering plate -28 arrives oppositeopening 47 in the block 25 and entering said opening the covering plat-ea8 is withdrawn from over the entrance end of the coin slot. The partsare now in position to be operated as before by the insertion of asecond coin, the column of articles in the chute having, when thelowermost article was discharged therefrom, 'icended in said chute,causing the next article to be seated on the bottom plate 8 as theejecting roller on the ejecting arm was retracted to take its positionbehind the lowermost article in readiness for the next operation.

The spring pressed dogs 35, before alluded to, possess the additionalfunction to that described of forcibly pushing the coin which has beeninserted by the purchaser inward in the coin slot beyond the guidingopening 4:4: in which the covering plate moves, so that there will benothing to obstruct the inward movement of the covering plate over thecoin receiving opening when the plunger is pushed inward. When the coinis inserted by the purchaser, its upper and lower edges first come incontact with the inner ends of the dogs 35, which, as shown in Fig. l,normally stand yieldingly in the coin path in notches in the plunger.As-tlie coin is pushed farther back by the finger, these spring presseddogs are spread apart by the edges of the coin, thereby moving them outof'the coin path and placing their springs under tension.- The limit ofthe thrust of the coin by the purchasers finger having been reached, thespring dogs now come into play and being forced inward by the expansionof their springs, they act on the curved edges of the coin andautomatically push it farther in the slot and beyond the guiding opening4-4 in which the covering plate moves, the coin at the same time, asheretofore described, pushing the releasing pin 37 outward and therebyfreeing the plunger so that it may be moved in ward. It is seen,therefore, that the spring pressed dogs 35 are brought into play by theinitial thrust of the coin by the purchasers finger, whereupon they takeup the movement of the coin'and complete it, thereby seating the same inits proper position for the operations of the parts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim i; t

1. in a vending machine, the combination of a frame or casing, anejecting mechanism, a slide or plunger operatively connected therewithand provided with a coin receiving slot, a locking mechanism carried bysaid plunger and cooperating with the easing to hold the plunger lockedagainst action, said locking mechanism having a re leasing partprojecting into the coin slot in the path of the incoming eoin; wherebyon the insertion of the coin the releasing part will be actuated and theplunger unlocked.

In a vending machine, the combination of a frame or casing, an ejectingmechanism, a plunger operatively connected therewith and provided with acoin receiving slot, a pin mounted in the plunger and movable thereintransversely of the movement of the plunger and having its inner endprojecting in the coin slot in the path of the incoming coin, a lockinghead carried by the outer end of the pin and adapted to cooperate withthe casing in holding the plunger locked against action, and a springbearing on the pin and acting to hold it yieldingly in the path of thecoin.

3. In a vending machine, the combination of a frame or casing, anejecting mechanism, a plunger operatively connected with the ejectingmechanism and provided with a coin slot, a pin movably mounted in theplunger with its inner end projecting in the coin slot in the path ofthe incoming coin, a cross head on the outer end of the pin adapted toenter a locking notch in the casing, and a spring acting on the pin andserving to hold the parts yieldingly in locked position.

at. In a vending machine, the combination of an ejecting mechanism, amovable slide or plunger operatively connected therewith andprovidedwith a coin receiving slot, a locking mechanism carried by theplunger and having a movable releasing member projecting into the coinslot in the path of the incoming coin, a spring acting on said releasingmember, whereby when the member is moved out of the coin path by theinserted coin it will maintain yielding engagement with the side of thesame, and means controlled by the movement of the plunger fordisengaging the releasing member from the coin.

5. In a vending machine, the combination of an ejecting mechanism, amovable slide or plunger operatively connected therewith and providedwith a coin receiving slot, a-

movable pin mounted in said plunger with its inner end projecting intothe slot, a locking head carried by the pin and adapted to cooperatewith the casing in holding the plunger locked, a "spring acting on thepin and serving to hold the same yieldingly in its inward position,whereby when the pin is moved outward by the coin its inner end willmaintain engagement therewith, and a surface on the casing adapted to'be engaged by the locking head on the rearward movement of the plungerand thereby disengage the pin from the coin.

6. In a vending machine, the combination of a casing provided with aguiding opening and a locking notch, an ejecting mechanism, a plungeroperatively connected therewith and mounted in said guiding opening tomove back and forth, a coin receiving slot extending longitudinally insaid plunger, a transversely movable pin mounted in said plunger withits inner end projccting in the coin slot, a cross-head on the outer endof the pin adapted to cooperate with the notch in the casing to hold theplunger locked against action, a spring acting on the cross-head andserving to hold the same yieldingly in locked position, and a camsurface on the casing in position to be engaged by the cross-head whenthe plunger is moved rearwardly, and thereby disengage the pin from thecoin.

7. In a vending machine, the combination of a casing, anejecting'mechanism, a coin controlled operating plunger movable back andforth and operatively connected with the ejecting mechanism, a springacting on said plunger and tending to project it forwardly, a movablestop mounted in the casing with its inner end extending in the path ofthe plunger and thereby acting to limit. its outward movement, and meanscontrolled by the inward movement of the plunger forautomatically movingsaid stop out of the plungers path.

8. In a vending machine, the combination of the casing, the ejectingmechanism,

the coin controlled operating plunger operatively connected with theejectingmechanism and movable back and forth in the casing, said plungerbeing provided with a notch and stop shoulder, a spring acting to urgethe plunger normally forward, a movable stop dog mounted in the casingwith its inner end beveled and seated in the notch in the plunger andits rear face engaging the shoulder thereon, and a spring actingon thedog to hold it in this position; whereby said dog will act to limit theoutward movement of the plunger and will be automatically moved outwardwhen the plunger is moved inward.

9. In a vending machine, the combination of an ejecting mechanism, aplunger operatively connected therewith and provided with a coinreceiving slot, a covering plate movable across the coin slot entrance,means controlled by said covering plate for locking the plunger againstaction in the event of the movement of the plate to cover the openingbeing obstructed, and means acting on the inserted coin for positivelymoving the same rearward in the slot beyond the pathof thecovering'plate after the coin has been entered in the slot by thepurchaser.

10. In a vending machine, the combination of an ejecting mechanism, aplunger operatively connected therewith and provided with a coinreceiving slot, said plunger being movable back and forth in the casingto actuate the ejecting mechanism, a covering plate carried by theplunger and movable over the entrance to the coin slot, and meanscontrolled by the inward movement of the plunger for shifting said plateover said opening.

11. In a vending machine, the combina-- tion of an ejecting mechanism, aplunger operatively connected therewith and provided with a coin slot, acover plate carried by the plunger and movable over the entrance end ofthe coin slot, and means carried by said cover plate for obstructing thea emme movement of the plunger when the cover slot and said pinbeing soformed that on the plate is free of the slot. movement of the plungerrearwardly it will 12. In a vending machine, the combinaengage thecasing and autonmtically thrust tion of an ejecting mechanistic aplunger the cover plate over the slot.

5 operatively connected therewith and pro- In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature 15 vided with a coin slot,- 21 plate carried by in presenceof two witnesses. said plunger and movable across said slot CHARLESFORTH. to cover it, a pin carried by the plate and Witnesses: normallyextending in an opening in the EDMUND H. PARRY,

i0 casing with the covering plate tree of the ERNEST D. CONDIT.

